Re: [keycloak-dev] Using export and import for backup and restore

With regards to backup it's not just realm config that needs backup. There are clients, roles, groups, users, etc.. It does take a lot of users before import/export via JSON before it will take a very long time (hours?!?).

It is just not a good idea. Will not scale. And would require downtime of the SSO service during backup. Now to my question - shouldn't the db be installed by an operator in the first place? Shouldn't the db operator do the backup? On Tue, 1 Oct 2019, 09:40 Peter Braun, <pbraun(a)redhat.com&gt; wrote: > That's another option we consider. We could use Volume Snapshots [1] and >> just backup the whole Postgresql data directory. This seems to be the >> fastest option and I believe, the Integreately Team tried that before > > > For Postgres we run pg_dump on the container and then back up the > resulting file (by uploading it to S3). But we also back up PV data and > Kubernetes resources. > > In the Operator use case, all modifications should be made through the >> Operator. That means, we could implement a simple Mutex and prevent the >> Operator from modifying anything until the backup is complete. >> > > Thats a good point. But we still expose the Admin UI. I can see use cases > where you want the Operator to install Keycloak and set up the Realms but > then let users self manage their Realm in the Admin UI. But even in that > case, the Operator could just block access during export/import (by > removing the Route or redirecting it to a 'Backup in Progress' page). > > If there are some guarantees (are there any?) about the structure of the >> JSON >> backup, we could use it for complicated migration process >> > > Thats my main concern. I suppose there is no Schema the output could be > validated against? I don't know how much the Keycloak DB schema changes but > i reckon that unless this is a supported feature and there is some metadata > (like schema version etc.) it's hard to use it for a reliable backup. > > > * It's very very slow > > This can be a problem. If you run regular backups this could eat into > your availability quite a bit. > > > > On Tue, Oct 1, 2019 at 8:19 AM Sebastian Laskawiec <slaskawi(a)redhat.com&gt; > wrote: > >> On Mon, Sep 30, 2019 at 3:31 PM Stian Thorgersen <sthorger(a)redhat.com&gt; >> wrote: >> >> > Export/import using JSON has a few significant disadvantages: >> > >> > * It's very very slow >> > * It can not provide a consistent snapshot unless all writes are >> stopped >> > during the export >> > >> >> I believe any of those two would be a problem. >> >> In the Operator use case, all modifications should be made through the >> Operator. That means, we could implement a simple Mutex and prevent the >> Operator from modifying anything until the backup is complete. >> >> >> > >> > With that regards I very much doubt it would be the ideal solution. >> > >> >> The more I'm thinking about it, the more I'm convinced that's using >> export/import gives us the most flexibility. >> >> At first, we could simplify basic configuration of a Realm (and other >> CRDs >> in the future as well). We would expose only basic settings and if anyone >> wants to configure every small detail, he would need to prepare a full >> JSON >> and restore it - just like restoring a backup - the same mechanism. If >> there are some guarantees (are there any?) about the structure of the >> JSON >> backup, we could use it for complicated migration process - like >> Integreately, where they need to migrate off the old Keycloak Operator >> to a >> new one. Also, the structure remains of the JSON file remains compatible >> across Keycloak/RHSSO versions, we could use it for migrating our >> customers >> from Keycloak to RHSSO. Finally, this solution doesn't tie us up to a >> particular database and its version. During an upgrade, we can wipe the >> database up and just restore Keycloak from a JSON file. >> >> >> > >> > One question though can't backup be performed at the DB level, and >> then be >> > a requirement on the DB operator rather than the Keycloak operator? >> > >> >> That's another option we consider. We could use Volume Snapshots [1] and >> just backup the whole Postgresql data directory. This seems to be the >> fastest option and I believe, the Integreately Team tried that before >> (Peter, David - perhaps you could tell us more about it). However, it >> ties >> us up to Postgresql in a specific version (as far as I know there are no >> guarantees about migrating the data directory between Postgresql >> versions). >> My intuition tells me, this will be a problem in long-term. >> >> [1] >> >> https://kubernetes.io/blog/2018/10/09/introducing-volume-snapshot-alpha-f... >> >> >> > >> > On Mon, 30 Sep 2019 at 15:22, Sebastian Laskawiec <slaskawi(a)redhat.com >> > >> > wrote: >> > >> >> Hey, >> >> >> >> In the next few days we'll be looking into implementing backup and >> restore >> >> functionality for the Keycloak Operator. One of the options we are >> >> considering, is using an export/import functionality. An Operator >> could >> >> export all realms into a JSON file and put it somewhere in a >> Persistent >> >> Volume. >> >> >> >> I was wondering, what do you think about this approach? Are there any >> >> guarantees around export/import functionality (especially with the >> regards >> >> to its format)? Also, would it work for exporting JSON file from >> Keycloak >> >> and importing it to RHSSO? >> >> >> >> Thanks, >> >> Sebastian >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> keycloak-dev mailing list >> >> keycloak-dev(a)lists.jboss.org >> >> https://lists.jboss.org/mailman/listinfo/keycloak-dev >> >> >> > >> _______________________________________________ >> keycloak-dev mailing list >> keycloak-dev(a)lists.jboss.org >> https://lists.jboss.org/mailman/listinfo/keycloak-dev >> >